


Affair of the Heart

by astroaethrae



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Happy Ending, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Unrequited Love, Vanitas is brought back because he deserved better, post-kh3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 05:45:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18404315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astroaethrae/pseuds/astroaethrae
Summary: In the years following the final battle with Xehanort, Ventus didn't think he could get any happier than he was now. His happiness is challenged, however, when he realizes that his feelings for Terra have evolved from familial love to something more intense. To add salt to the wound, he overhears a confession of love he would rather have avoided. All he wants is to be happy with his family, but just how is he supposed to do that with so many conflicting emotions?





	Affair of the Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kayura_sanada](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kayura_sanada/gifts).



> Is this a bit cliché? Yes. Yes it is. I know the whole “someone overhears the love of their life being confessed to by someone else” trope has been done over and over, but I don’t care. This is more of a vent piece and a response to similar fics I’ve seen where this sort of thing happens but it turns out badly. 
> 
> So in this case, even though it’s a vent fic, I tried to keep everyone as in-character as possible and have each of them maintain their dignity instead of the awful “So-and-so confessed to the person I love and I hate them!!” or “You didn’t return my feelings after I confessed, now I’m gonna be a total scumbag!!” approaches because…no. You can write a vent fic without being awful to other characters. -A- 
> 
> But that said, I hope you enjoy, because there’s a lot of feel-good fluff as well!

So much had happened in the years following the final battle against Xehanort. Ventus didn’t think he could be any happier after finally coming home to live a peaceful life with his two best friends (and his dear friend Chirithy); he was pleasantly surprised to find that he was wrong. Occasionally Sora would stop by the Land of Departure and request his—or Terra’s or Aqua’s—assistance on his journeys, to which he was more than willing to comply. He had regained his lost memories, for better or worse, and accepted his past as a chosen Dandelion and Union Leader of old; his two best friends had a harder time grappling with this information, but they eventually came around. Although Ven mourned for his old friends he had previously forgotten, time had eased the pain. The icing on the cake, however, was when Sora had discovered a way to bring Vanitas back. Despite being wary at first, Ven was overall ecstatic to know his other half would be given a second chance.

Although Vanitas appeared to be displeased with being brought back, Ven could tell that the bitter façade his darker half wore wasn’t all it seemed. In the end, Vanitas was glad he was able to start anew as his own person on his own terms. Occasionally he would shadow Sora and help out on adventures, but for the most part he went his own way and did his own thing. Ven wasn’t always sure what Vanitas was up to, since he refused to live at the castle, but he was glad when his “brother” stopped in to visit from time to time. Yes, Ventus was happy and didn’t think it could go up from there. As usual, however, he was always proven wrong one way or another. After he had become an official Keyblade Master like Terra and Aqua before him, he didn’t think he’d want anything more. He achieved his dream, he lived with his family, he made many friends—there couldn’t be anything more he wanted, right? 

Wrong.

As he sat perched in his usual window spot overlooking the courtyard, Ven mulled over several frustrating thoughts. These thoughts first emerged a couple years ago, after he had officially been named Master. During the celebration, Terra had been the most excited and kept close to Ven all night. Although this was nothing new—they had _always_ kept close to one another, after all—something switched in his brain as he strolled beneath the stars late that evening with his most treasured friend. Although one-on-one strolls with the man he always admired was a common occurrence, _especially_ after they were finally able to come home after so many years of pain, something was different that night. The light in Terra’s bright cerulean eyes seemed brighter, and his warm smile seemed softer than usual. Ven figured he was seeing things; Terra looked _normal_ , but at the same time he looked _different_. He couldn’t place his finger on it, but from that night on Ven found himself thinking about private strolls under the stars with Terra more often.

Now, even after those past couple years, Ven had an idea of what’s been going on. He was confused because he wasn’t sure _how_ it happened; it just _did_. Had the feeling always been there since the beginning? Maybe. Terra had always been particularly special to him because he was the first to reach out; Terra was the first to believe in him, the first to accept him as an equal among the three. Of course Ven knew Aqua did the same, and he loved her for it, but the love he felt for her was… _different_. At first he wasn’t sure because to him, Terra and Aqua were his family—more like siblings than anything—but his feelings felt like they were constantly evolving. They grew deeper, stronger, and in terms of the love he had for the two, _separate_. Aqua, for sure, was his sister. _Terra_ , on the other hand… 

Ventus groaned as he pressed his forehead against the glass. All he wanted to do was run his head under an ice-cold shower, but it never helped. He felt irritated and his chest hurt whenever he thought about the older man. Images of him and Terra tangled in a tender embrace or locked in a sweet kiss danced in his mind more often than not, but he was always quick to push such images away. He didn’t want this. He didn’t want to _ruin_ what they had—it was special _enough_. Why would he ever want to risk ruining so many years of trust and familial love over these stupid feelings? He felt _weird_ , but at the same time he felt like he had just found his _true_ self after so long. It was as if he had experienced a great awakening while simultaneously realizing that said awakening was the path to his own destruction. He was _happy_ the way things were _now_ ; why would he want to take that all away? Just because he…

Ven closed his eyes, forehead still resting against the windowpane. 

“…Just because I’m in love with him…” he murmured, deciding it was time to just admit it to himself at least. 

He felt _miserable_. Yet at the same time, he felt _overjoyed_. The thought of being an important part of Terra’s life filled his heart with so much joy that he felt it would burst, yet at the same time he was convinced nothing would happen and it nigh crushed his very soul. He wished he could say it just hit him out of nowhere and that it was just a phase, but he knew better. He came to realize that love was much more complicated than that; it was capable of _evolving_. One moment he was telling himself that Terra was a brother-figure, only for it to change into something completely different over the years because of the intimacy of their friendship and all it created. He wasn’t sure what exactly triggered the sudden realization that he was dealing with much more than familial love for his best friend, but he _did_ know that he wanted to be _with_ him more than anything.

But that was never happening. He knew that. There was no point in even—

“You should really tell him how you feel, you know.”

Ven startled at the sudden high-pitched voice, his forehead banging against the glass in surprise.

“Ch- _Chirithy_!” he exclaimed, looking at his little grey friend. “Don’t _do_ that! You almost gave me a heart attack!”

Chirithy perched itself next to the Keyblade Master on the windowsill.

“Sorry, but I’m just saying you should let him know before you bottle it up and it explodes in the worst way possible.” 

Ven scoffed.

“What are you, nuts? Not happening! I’ve got enough on my plate to worry about, I don’t need to add any more to it! And keep your voice down!”

Chirithy sighed. 

“Suit yourself, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” 

“I _will_.”

The two sat there in silence for a bit longer before Ven decided it was time to get up and make himself lunch. He had been sitting in the window all morning lost in thought; although it wasn’t _useful_ to anyone, it was still enough to work up his appetite. Giving Chirithy a soft smile, he gestured for it to follow him to the kitchen. As they walked down the corridor, Ven noticed the library door was partially closed. He raised an eyebrow, finding it odd since the library door was usually wide open. It appeared as if someone had meant to close it completely but didn’t realize it was still open just a crack. From inside, he heard voices. 

“—wanted to talk to me about something?”

Ven’s heart skipped a beat; _gods_ how he loved that voice. He could only assume Terra was talking to Aqua about something. But why would they shut the door to the library of all places?

“I have something I need to tell you,” Aqua said in response. 

Ventus raised an eyebrow. He knew he shouldn’t eavesdrop—for the love of Light, he wasn’t a _child_ —but he couldn’t help himself. In an attempt to be as discrete as possible, he pressed himself against the small opening and looked inside. Terra and Aqua stood facing each other, the former looking slightly confused while the latter stood tall in determination. Judging from her stance, Ven assumed Aqua had some extremely important information for Terra. But why _just_ Terra? 

The tinge of irritation in his heart would have taken him by surprise if he wasn’t used to it by now. He wished he wouldn’t get so _jealous_ whenever Aqua and Terra were alone, but it happened so fast that it wouldn’t cross his mind until after the fact. As much as he loved Aqua, there were some days when he wished she would just leave Terra _alone_ —or at least include him in the conversation, too. He was also a Keyblade Master, dammit, there was no excuse for her to treat him like a child! _Especially_ since he wasn’t one!

His attention snapped back to his friends when he heard Aqua take a deep breath.

Squaring her shoulders in an attempt to look more confident than she felt, she said, “You know I value or friendship above everything else, right?” 

Terra raised an eyebrow. 

“Yeeeah…?” he answered, unsure of where she was going with this.

Outside, Ven stiffened. _Oh_ , what he thought was happening had better _not_ be happening. No. Please, no…

Aqua maintained eye contact with Terra. 

“And you know that no matter what, I’d want us to stay friends, right?” 

Terra clicked his tongue; Ven knew that meant he wanted Aqua to get to the point. He knew that Terra hated prolonging tense situations—he preferred frankness over ambiguity (“Just rip the bandage right off, yeah?”). Aqua sighed, knowing full well her friend’s preference. 

“What I’m trying to say, Terra, is that I…” she trailed off for a moment, casting her eyes shyly to the floor.

Terra’s gaze softened as a look of concern spread across his face at her sudden change in demeanor. Ven, on the other hand, felt his blood run _cold_.

Oh _no_ …

Aqua took a deep breath before she lifted her head again and met Terra’s eyes. Steeling herself, she proclaimed, “I’m in love with you, Terra.”

Terra’s eyes widened, as did Ven’s. The younger man felt the breath catch in his throat and his stomach tighten; it was as if someone had punched him as hard as possible in the gut and knocked the wind from him. Although he wasn’t breathing, his heart palpitated violently within his chest. He felt numb and couldn’t help the tears beginning to well in his vibrant blue eyes. He couldn’t listen any longer—of _course_ this would happen. He had heard the whispers from their friends and how “Terra and Aqua would make such a cute couple.” He was more than aware of the bond they had and knew there was a potential dynamic, but it had always seemed to _him_ like the two of them were definitely brother and sister. All at once he remembered his own feelings and how _they_ developed, so it would only make sense that _Aqua’s_ might evolve over time as well.

He couldn’t handle this. He didn’t want to be around to hear Terra return the confession. As quickly and quietly as he could, he scooped up Chirithy and bolted for his room. His appetite had been lost; how could he possibly bring himself to eat anything after that? He couldn’t contain it anymore. Dejectedly sliding into his desk chair, he covered his mouth with a trembling hand and let out a sob. All energy had been sucked from him, so all he wanted to do was curl up in bed and stay there. Finding just enough strength to push himself up, he did just that and allowed himself to ride out his heartbreak. Chirithy did its best to console him.

Meanwhile, back in the library, silence hung thick over the older Keyblade Masters. Aqua exhaled softly, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, but she was a bit unnerved by Terra’s silence. Her gaze had fallen back to the floor moments after she uttered his name, as she was too embarrassed to meet his own again. However, with the length of the silence between them, she contemplated on doing so. Mustering up her courage, she hesitantly glanced up at the man she had once thought of as a brother. Her heart squeezed painfully at the sight, although she wasn’t sure what it meant. 

Terra stood there, a mixed look of shock and confusion painted across his handsome features. He stood silent, lips pursed in a small frown with his eyebrows furrowed. Aqua wasn’t sure if he was processing the information or what, but the longer he stood like that, the more she felt her hope dwindle. 

“Terra…?” she gently coaxed, reaching out to touch his arm. 

Terra blinked as if being snapped from his thoughts. Running a hand through his long brown hair, he looked at his friend with an apologetic expression. 

“Aqua…” he started, placing his hand over hers. “I appreciate you telling me your feelings, but…” 

Aqua lowered her head, accepting the rejection.

“But you don’t feel the same…” she whispered, finishing his sentence. 

Terra nodded despite her not looking at him. 

“Yeah… You…you’re my _sister_ , Aqua…” 

The blue-haired woman felt her shoulders slump. Deep down she _knew_ that, but she convinced herself that there might be a chance. She wanted to believe the excited “affirmations” from their other friends in Twilight Town and Destiny Islands, but she knew from the start that they were wrong. She knew Terra could never _possibly_ feel the same. She knew he would never reciprocate her love because she knew his heart already belonged to another; she had known ever since the three of them were naïve kids sent out to investigate the worlds for the very first time.

Terra’s heart had always been Ven’s.

“You won’t think any less of me now, will you…?” she asked quietly, knowing that he wouldn’t, but wanting the affirmation.

“What? Of course not… Aqua, no matter what, I’ll always love you. Just…not in the way you want me to…”

Aqua smiled, looking back up at her friend. 

“Thank you…” she said, placing her hand on his shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “And don’t worry about me, okay…? I promise I’ll be fine… Honestly, I knew you wouldn’t return my feelings, but I at least wanted to try… I _do_ feel better getting it all out there, though…” 

“Yeah?” Terra smiled, returning the gesture. “That’s good… It’s not good to bottle your feelings up… I would know…”

He chuckled softly, and Aqua followed. 

“Yeah…” she said, nodding. “So…you should really take your own advice and tell him.” 

Terra gaped, looking as if she had just kicked his puppy. 

“Wh-where did—what did—I-I don’t…!” he sputtered, face flushing vibrantly.

Aqua couldn’t help but laugh; his reaction was typical, especially since he knew he had just been _caught_.

“I’m serious,” she said, chuckling. “Go talk to him.”

“Ah— _now_?” Terra stared at her, dumbfounded. “Are you…sure that’s _okay_? I mean, after what just happened? Like, you don’t want me to wait for a little bit, or…?”

 “I think…we should all just get it out there. Especially since he was listening to us earlier.”

Terra paled, his eyes widening.

“W-wait, he was…?! Then…!”

The blue-haired Master nodded.

“I briefly saw him run off out of the corner of my eye. Guess I didn’t shut the door all the way… I’ll apologize to him later…” 

“ _Fizzy Tizzy_ , of course he’d…!!”

Aqua snorted at her friend’s inability to swear before she shook her head. 

“Don’t worry about me, yeah? Seriously. Go talk to Ven.”

Terra nodded and rushed out of the library. Although he felt guilty that he couldn’t do anything to help Aqua, he knew she’d be fine; she was strong, after all. He admired her courage and respected her all the more for being so understanding about his own feelings—his feelings that have only grown stronger throughout the years. Ven had _always_ been by his side and had always believed in him when no one else would; it was Ven’s determination and devotion that touched his heart and warmed him to the core. It was Ven’s precious light that kept him strong and motivated him to keep moving forward.

…It was Ven he wanted to hold close and protect, even when he was fully capable of protecting himself… 

 Although he had come to terms with his self-loathing and guilt years ago, Terra couldn’t help as those feelings came rushing back to him. The thought of Ven hurting because of something he did—even if it was indirectly—crushed him. Logically, he knew he shouldn’t feel guilty for _anything_ , and neither should Aqua, but he couldn’t help it; he didn’t want Ven to hurt because of a situation involving himself specifically. Before he could further dwell on it, though, he reached Ven’s room. Chirithy stood outside the door as if it had been waiting for Terra. 

“Ah—hey, Chirithy… Is Ven alright…?” he asked, kneeling to better look at the Dream Eater. 

“Yeah, but he’s really sad.” 

The Master exhaled heavily, figuring that was the case. Although he couldn’t fully understand why Ven would have gotten this upset, he hated knowing that he was. With a heavy heart, he stood back up and moved to enter the room. His heart sank further into his chest at the sight of his dearest friend curled up on his bed, back facing the door. Unsure if Ven was asleep or not, Terra quietly made his way over to the younger man’s desk and sat down.

Scooting the chair closer to the bed, he quietly asked, “Ven…are you asleep….?”

Ventus didn’t respond, but he was still awake. He was confused; what was Terra doing in his room? Did he accidentally alert the older man when he ran off? Oh, _great_. This was just what he needed…

Instead of responding, Ven kept quiet. He decided the best course of action was to pretend to be asleep. He knew that the three of them had so much to discuss, but he just wasn’t in the mood. The wound was still fresh and the last thing he wanted to see was the love of his life and his sister-figure being smoochy in front of him. If not _smoochy,_ then at least doing things to confirm they were now an item. In that moment, he wished Vanitas would just pop in and distract everyone from this painfully awkward situation. He just wanted to be left _alone_ and not have to confront his worst fear—at least for _now_. He knew he’d come to terms eventually, but right now it hurt way too much to even consider it. His thoughts ran wild, emotions and self-esteem in utter disarray, before he was brought back by the sound of Terra chuckling softly.

“Jeez, I can practically _hear_ your thoughts… So I know you’re awake, Ven…" 

Ven stiffened ever so slightly, but he stayed put. Instead of responding, he simply sighed and curled into himself a little more. Terra knew he couldn’t force Ven to do anything, but he wished the younger Master would look at him.

“Ven… Aqua saw you run away earlier, and I wanted to come check on you…” 

Ventus sighed again, but this time he forced himself to sit up and look at Terra. Since his friend had just brought up the subject, he might as well just get it over with even though he _desperately_ wanted to avoid this conversation for a while longer. Although he had stopped crying, his eyes were red and puffy while half-dried tear tracks on his cheeks shone in the dim light. Terra’s heart broke at the sight and he wanted nothing more than to pull him into his arms, but he refrained just in case it made Ven uncomfortable. Instead, he stayed put and took in the image of his best friend. 

“Did you hear what Aqua said…?” he asked gently, fully aware of how delicate the situation currently was. As much as he wanted to just get straight to the point and tell Ven the full truth, he knew right now he needed to ease into it; the last thing he wanted was to confuse or frustrate Ven even more with information overload. 

Ven ran a hand through his hair, his eyes unable to meet Terra’s at the moment. He was frustrated with himself for showing such a lack of _dignity_ with this entire situation. He wished he could demonstrate the same professional poise his friends had mastered in the face of unfortunate news—even though he usually _did_ —but this whole thing was an absolute _clusterfuck_. He decided then and there that being in love officially _sucked_. 

Realizing he still needed to answer Terra’s question, Ven nodded and muttered, “Yeah… I didn’t stick around to see you accept her confession, though…”

Terra bristled slightly. He was about to confess right then and there, but a thought crossed his mind: what if Ven was upset because he had feelings for _Aqua_? Oh _no_ , that would make sense! No wonder Ven was so upset! Terra felt a sharp pain in his chest at the sudden realization, but he had come too far to turn back now. All he could do was repeat what Aqua had done earlier; he needed to just confess and get it over with so he could accept Ven’s rejection and move on as well. If this were any other situation, he would have scoffed at the idea of a _love triangle_ , but it was completely different now that he was actually _living_ one. _Fizzy Tizzy_ , was this day turning out to be horrible…

“Ven, I didn’t accept her confession,” he stated, looking his friend in the eye. “I don’t feel the same way. She always has been and always _will_ be a sister to me…”

Ventus froze, his eyes widening.

“…Really…?” he whispered, half in relief and half in dejection.

Although he was glad to hear that Terra didn’t feel the same way Aqua did, he figured that Terra thought of him as a sibling as well. Still, he could live with that; as long as he could be a part of Terra’s life and make him happy, that was all he wanted.

Terra nodded in response to his question.

“Yeah…” he said. “And I feel bad that I can’t give her the love she wants, but…that doesn’t mean _you_ can’t have your chance, right…? It would take some work, but you can still _try_ if you wanted to…”

Ven blinked. Wait, _what_? What did _that_ mean? Surely he wasn’t implying that he could try and win over Aqua, was he?

“ _What_?” he squeaked, gaping at the older man. “I don’t—Aqua is—I don’t feel that way about her…!”

Terra froze. He didn’t? Then why was he so upset about Aqua’s confession? Unless—no. No, that couldn’t be possible. …Could it…? As much as he wanted it to be possible—as much as he _hoped_ —he refused to jump to conclusions. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt himself even more with this whole situation. He knew he needed to be smart about it, so the best thing to do was keep going.

“Oh no…? Then…what’s wrong, hm…?” he asked, as gently as he could, trying to be mindful of Ven’s emotions without undermining them.

Ventus hesitated, debating on if he should dump a second love confession on Terra that day. He didn’t want to stress his friend out even more, but at the same time he just wanted to get it all over with already. After a brief back-and-forth in his mind about whether to break the news now or later, he decided that he was going to just do it.

Taking a deep breath and mustering his courage, Ven met Terra’s gaze and answered, “I’m…also in love with you… I’m sure you don’t want to hear this from me after just hearing it from Aqua, but…but it’s true… _That’s_ why I’m upset… So yeah… …I’m sorry…”

He quickly averted his gaze the moment he saw Terra’s cerulean eyes begin to widen. His heart hammered in his ribcage while trying to breathe became increasingly difficult to do. The ache in his chest he felt earlier intensified and his stomach churned. He wanted to throw up. He wanted to hide, away from Terra’s shocked stare, but it wouldn’t change the fact that he had just admitted his feelings to the man he loved above all else. He felt so exposed and vulnerable; was this how Aqua felt earlier? Although he was certain rejection was imminent, Ven couldn’t help the small twinge of hope in his heart at Terra’s silence. He didn’t want to hope for anything at this point, but he couldn’t help it; part of his mind was convinced that as long as Terra didn’t reject him immediately, there might be a chance. He _knew_ it was naïve to think so, but he couldn’t help it.

“V…Ven…”

Oh no. Here it comes… 

Ventus hesitantly glanced back up to meet Terra’s eyes, wanting to shrink up and curl into himself. He kept willing himself to be strong no matter what. 

“I know… You don’t have to say it…” he whispered.

Terra blinked and quickly took his hands, albeit more forcefully than he intended. The sudden action made Ven jolt.

“N-no…!” the older Master exclaimed. Noticing his friend’s look of surprise, he calmed down and repeated more gently, “No… Sorry, I didn’t mean to just lunge like that… I just…do you mean that…?” 

Ven stared at their hands, a soft blush creeping to his cheeks. He couldn’t help but notice how large and warm Terra’s hands were, and how they easily encased his own. _Gods_ how he adored those hands…

“Ven…?” 

The younger man looked back at Terra’s face.

“Ah… S-sorry… But…yeah…I meant it… I wouldn’t have said it otherwise if I didn’t…”

Terra exhaled deeply, having been subconsciously holding his breath, before he tenderly squeezed Ven’s hands. His mind was reeling and his heart was pounding; did…did he _seriously_ hear Ven correctly? Of course he had, Ven just confirmed it, but he still couldn’t _believe_ it. Never in his wildest dreams had he pictured this moment _actually happening_. Yet here he was, sitting here holding Ven’s hands, trying to process that his sweet voice had just confessed his _love_ for him. His brain kept screaming at him to _say something_ because he could sense Ven’s discomfort due to the silence between them, but his body couldn’t cooperate due to the shock. It was only when Ven sighed and moved to pull his hands away did he jolt into action. 

Tightening his hold on the younger man’s hands, he said, “I’m glad…” 

Ventus blinked. Did…did Terra just say…? 

“Y-you’re… _glad_ …?”

Terra couldn’t help but smile, finding Ven’s reaction adorable. He nodded. 

“Yeah… _Really_ glad…” 

“B-but…” 

Ven couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Terra was _glad_? What did that mean? Unless he was saying he— _no way_. Wide sky-blue eyes met warm cerulean. Terra’s smile was tender and sincere, causing Ven’s heartrate to increase yet again. He was frozen in place, still staring into the older man’s eyes, before Terra leaned forward to press their foreheads together. Although they both maintained eye-contact, Ven couldn’t stop his body from lightly trembling as he clutched his friend’s hands. He didn’t know what else to say.

Terra continued to smile, feelings of relief and exhilaration practically bursting within him.

“I love you, too, Ven…” he murmured, brushing the tips of their noses together. “I have for a long time…”

“You…do…?” was all Ven could ask. 

“Yeah…” the older Master affirmed. “I do…”

All at once Ventus felt like he wanted to laugh, cry, scream, and hide. His emotions were all over the place and he didn’t know how to handle it, so he did what he felt made the most sense in that moment: he kissed Terra. It was clumsy and awkward—chaste and shy—but he knew he was doing the right thing as soon as Terra began kissing back. It took a brief moment for their lips to comfortably settle together, but it felt like magic once they did. Ven felt light-headed and like sparks of electricity were shooting through his body; Terra felt fireworks and a warmth that enveloped his entire being. Although neither wanted to break the kiss, they did after a moment. 

Terra felt his heart melt seeing the look on Ven’s face. A soft blush had crept across the younger man’s cheeks, and his bright blue eyes sparkled with a new-found light of pure happiness. A dreamy little smile had spread across his lips; he looked like he was about to float away at any moment. Chuckling at the thought, Terra adjusted himself and folded Ventus into his arms. Ven, in return, fondly cradled his face in his hands, his thumbs gently caressing Terra’s cheeks. The older man smiled adoringly and nuzzled into the touch. This was all he’s ever wanted… 

“I love you…” he said again, pecking Ven’s lips.

Ven continued to smile as he returned the gesture, hands still cradling his friend’s—no, his _lover’s_ —cheeks. 

“I love you, too…” he whispered, feeling like he was in a dream. 

It was even better than a dream, he realized, when Terra leaned forward and kissed him again. Ven could feel his adoration; the tenderness and devotion he poured into the kiss told the younger Master everything he needed to know. He wanted Terra to feel his own devotion, and he hoped that his feelings showed in the way he returned the kiss. His question was soon answered when he felt Terra smile against his lips—a smile he ecstatically returned.

“Wow…” Terra murmured with a chuckle, breaking the kiss to look at Ven.

“Yeah… Wow’s right…” 

The older man chuckled and pulled himself up to sit beside Ventus on the bed. Ven, in return, pulled him into his arms. Terra happily returned the embrace, taking note of how warm the smaller man was. He thought about all of the ups and downs they had been through together—about the wasted years they lost because of Xehanort’s ambitions—and the pain they had overcome. Ever since they had met, Terra knew Ven was someone he deeply wanted to protect with his entirety. Knowing that he had failed, even if only temporarily, still hurt him years after the fact. As happy as he was in this moment with Ven—holding him in his arms and knowing he returned his love—he couldn’t stop the guilt he harbored for so long from seeping through. Was he even worthy of Ven’s love?

“Don’t…” Ven whispered, breaking Terra from his thoughts. “I’m gonna stop you right there, Terra…”

Terra blinked, amazed that Ven even _knew_ what he was thinking. At the same time, though, he wasn’t all that surprised; they had both grown to a point of familiarity where it was easy to read each other’s feelings, just as he had earlier with Ven.

“Sorry…” he said, tightening his hold around the smaller man. “I know we’ve talked about this before many times, but yeah… Sometimes I can’t help it…”

Ventus smiled and tightened his own hold around his lover. 

“I know… But you know what I’m gonna say and how I feel about it…” 

Terra smiled and nodded.

“Yeah, I know… You’ve always been able to break through and bring me back…”

Ven chuckled and kissed his cheek. 

“I’ll always be there,” he confirmed, nuzzling under his chin. 

Kissing Ven’s temple and nuzzling into his hair, the older Master murmured, “I know, sweetheart… Thank you…”

Ven’s heart fluttered pleasantly at the nickname, his smile broadening as he gave the larger man a tender squeeze.

“Anytime, love…”   

Terra smiled and protectively tightened his hold. Everything finally felt _complete_. Once they were able to come home, he had always felt that everything was good, but something had always been lacking. Now, with Ven in his arms and his love requited, everything was so much brighter. It would’ve been perfect except for one unfortunate detail: Aqua had confessed her love, but it was left unreciprocated. Although he knew she would be alright and move on, he still couldn’t help but feel sympathy for her. He was aware things would be awkward between the three of them for a while, especially since he and Ven were officially together, but it would’ve been the same if Ven had feelings for Aqua instead. No matter what, wherever affections were involved, it was always going to be awkward at first.

Ven appeared to have the same thoughts. 

“Do you think we should hold off on doing anything in front of Aqua?” he asked. “At least for a little while, anyway?” 

Terra thought about it for a moment, almost agreeing that it might be a good idea, but a different thought crossed his mind instead. 

“I don’t think it’s good for any of us if we did that,” he replied. “I mean, yeah, we shouldn’t be overly touchy-feely in front of her, but I feel that way about everyone when it comes to public displays of affection. So no, we shouldn’t be making out every five minutes when she’s around or anything, but at the same time we shouldn’t have to hold ourselves back just for her sake, y’know? I think she can handle us holding hands or just being a couple in general. It might hurt at first, sure, but it’s good for her to help move on, too. I mean, if the situation was reversed and you and her got together, I wouldn’t expect you to hold back on being in love just for my sake. I’d actually feel really bad about it…” 

Ventus seemed to ponder this for a moment before nodding. 

“Good point. I know I’d feel bad if you and her got together and held yourselves back just for my sake, too. I wouldn’t _like_ seeing you two together at first, but I know I’d get over it the more I accepted it.” 

“ _Exactly_. So I think we should be alright.”

“Yeah, you’re right. That makes me feel better, honestly… I love Aqua to pieces and I don’t want her to hurt, but…I don’t want to hold back on my love for _you_ now that we’re together… It’d be unfair…”

Terra nodded in agreement. 

“Yeah, exactly. That’s how I feel. So as long as we’re not _obnoxious_ about it, we should all be okay.” 

Ven grinned.

“Right, just as long as we can be _obnoxious_ in private~ Because I dunno about you, but now that I got you, I wanna get real _smoochy_.” 

The older man beamed.

“Oh, you have _no_ idea, sweetheart~”  

Before Ven could properly respond, Terra’s lips kissed all over his face and neck. He laughed, squirming at the sensation. 

“Terra, that _tickles_!” 

Terra only smirked against his skin as he continued kissing him. He laughed when Ven’s hand gently pushed his face away, deciding it was best to relent for now.

“I thought you wanted to get _smoochy_ ~” he teased, grinning down at his lover.

Ventus laughed and tangled his hands in the larger man’s hair, pulling him down for another kiss. Terra delightedly returned it, a chuckle reverberating from the back of his throat; he could _definitely_ get used to this. A pleasant shudder ran up his spine as Ven nipped his bottom lip. Smirking against the other man’s lips, a soft growl escaped him as his hands began to explore Ven’s body, who in turn smiled against his lips and relaxed into his touch.

With a content sigh, the younger Master murmured, “Something on your mind, Master Terra…~?” 

Terra groaned and nuzzled against Ven’s neck. 

“Maybe, seeing how you’re just so _tempting_ , _Master Ventus_ …~” 

A coy smile spread across Ven’s lips as his hands trailed along Terra’s pecs. Hearing Terra’s breath hitch, he was about to go further until a different sound interrupted their moment: the loud gurgling of his empty stomach. He felt his face turn ten different shades of red as Terra shook with laughter.

“What was _that_?” the older Master asked with a teasing smirk.

Ventus scoffed and covered his face. 

“I haven’t eaten anything all day! I was on my way to _do that_ earlier before I got _distracted_ ,” he huffed in response, face still hidden behind his hands.

Terra chuckled and gently took Ven’s hands to move them. 

“It’s _fine_ , Ven. Here, we should get you something to eat first, yeah?” 

“Yeah, that’d probably be for the best.” 

Terra chuckled again as he stood up and offered his hand. Ven smiled and took it, kissing his lover on the cheek once he was pulled to his feet. Lacing their fingers, Terra walked with him out of the room and towards the kitchen. Ven hummed happily and lightly swung their hands as they walked; he was content. If he had thought he couldn’t get any happier before, he was once again proven wrong. In fact, with Terra returning his love, he knew that he’d only grow happier from there. 

As they approached the kitchen, two voices caught their attention. Upon peeking in, they saw Aqua and Chirithy were engaged in conversation as the blue-haired Master made herself a cup of tea. The two men shared a glance before they decided to fully enter. 

“Hey, Aqua…” Ven said, cracking a smile as she turned to face them.

“Ah… Hey, Ven…” she replied with a smile of her own. Noticing that Ven’s and Terra’s hands were entwined, she continued, “I see you two had a productive chat?”

Terra exhaled and nodded, giving Ven’s hand a squeeze.

“Yeah. I’m glad you gave me a push to tell him.” 

Aqua nodded, continuing to smile. 

“I figured this is how it’d turn out… It was clear as day you two were in love, at least to me…”

Terra and Ventus shared another look, cheeks pink. They smiled at each other, eyes filled with adoration and joy. Although Aqua felt a tinge of pain in her chest as she watched them, she truly did feel happy for them. At the end of the day, they were still her best friends, and she wanted what was best for both of them. Ventus was the unwavering light Terra needed to guide him through his darkest hours, and Terra was the rock Ven needed to keep him grounded whenever his wayward tendencies arose. They knew each other better than anyone else possibly could; she would never want to come between something so special. Instead, she felt resolve within her heart to keep moving forward, knowing that one day she’d find a love just as true and special as her friends had. 

“Oh, and Ven,” she said, looking at the younger man. “I’m sorry about earlier… I thought I had closed the library door all the way when I was talking to Terra…” 

Ventus shook his head and smiled warmly.

“Nah, don’t worry about it. I shouldn’t have eavesdropped, but…”

He trailed off, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

“But he’s been moping about realizing he’s been in love with Terra this whole time, so he freaked out when he heard you two talking,” Chirithy piped in, deciding to finish Ven’s train of thought.

“Ch- _Chirithy_!”

“What, it’s _true_!”

Ventus flushed in embarrassment and glared at his Dream Eater, Terra and Aqua laughing in amusement.

“Whatever!” Ven huffed as he stomped towards the fridge. “I’m hungry, who else wants food?”

Terra chuckled and raised his hand. 

“I am, so I’ll help out with whatever you wanna make, Ven.” 

Aqua smiled and nodded as well, taking a sip of her tea.

“I’ll help, too. It’s about time for dinner anyway, so we might as well all make something together.” 

Ventus was about to agree, but a gruff voice interrupted him.

“ _Well_ , then it looks like I got here just in time. You losers do your thing, just make sure you save some for me~”

The three Masters looked over to the entryway and grinned.

“Vani!” Ven exclaimed. “Hey, welcome back!”

Vanitas nodded and strolled inside, taking a seat at the table.

“Figured I’d stop by and all that. What’d I miss? It feels like the atmosphere has just been aired out and like I can _breathe_ again.”

Terra chuckled and replied, “Well…a lot happened today… For one thing, Ven and I are together now…” 

Vanitas raised an eyebrow.

“No shit? Well, it’s about time. You two have been pining after each other for _years_. It was seriously getting annoying.”

Terra and Ventus flushed, both at a loss of words as they tried to stammer a retort. Aqua snorted and snickered into her hand. Vanitas smirked and nodded to himself, pleased that he got the reactions he wanted.

Turning his attention to Aqua, he asked, “And what about you? You don’t look like you’re being crushed to death by some invisible force anymore.”

“Ah—” Aqua shook her head. “I confessed my own feelings to Terra earlier, but of course he didn’t return them. I feel better knowing that I just got it over with and got the closure I needed.”

Terra cleared his throat and Ven shuffled a bit. The golden-eyed man shrugged. 

“Good on you, then. The first step to beating down your inner demons is to be honest with yourself and accept the disappointments you’re handed.”

Ventus snorted and crossed his arms.

“And since when did _you_ become so wise, huh?”

“Shut up. I’ve _always_ been wise. Wiser than _you_ , anyway,” Vanitas shot back with a smirk.

Ven bristled, ready to throw down, but the weight of Terra’s hand on his shoulder relaxed him. He looked up at his lover and smiled, the pleasure of being in love immediately returning. Terra’s cerulean eyes sparkled with joy as he leaned down and kissed the smaller man’s forehead. The other two Keyblade wielders glanced at each other, Aqua chuckling and Vanitas rolling his eyes with an amused snort. Chirithy sighed but was happy nonetheless; knowing that Ven was happy and well-taken care of was all that mattered. 

And happy Ven was indeed, although that was an understatement. 

He had always been happy ever since he and his friends were finally able to come home after the final battle with Xehanort. He had been happy to make new friends and become a Keyblade Master. He was overjoyed to finally regain his lost memories and see Vanitas make a life for himself. There were so many things that made him happy, and realizing that he was in love with his best friend was one of them. Although accepting that truth had hurt as well, it was all worth it in the end. Seeing the look in Terra’s eyes smothered the pain, and his smile assured Ven that he was feeling the exact same. 

Terra leaned forward and kissed Ven’s temple. Nuzzling into his hair, he softly whispered, “I love you, sweetheart…”

Ven’s heart soared. Kissing his love on the cheek, he softly replied, “I love you too, my darling…” 

Yes, “happy” was an understatement. This love he shared with Terra had them both _elated_.

**Fin.**

**Author's Note:**

> I think I’m going to start saying “Fizzy Tizzy” instead of “fuck” from now on as an exclamation of displeasure. I also wasn’t planning on adding Van in this, but my love for him got the best of me and I felt I needed to. So apologies if his appearance seems really out of place!! 
> 
> Either way, I hope you enjoyed it! I’m always happy to share the TerraVen love~ <3


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